Foot-operating device.



B. N. RUSSELL @I T. V. SMITH.

FOOT OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. IsI.

E 9 W.. Il EIIIeIItQdI July 23, M18.

(l1/Iva v1 420mg BJVRM/.SSIQUL @not @WMI/woo es I I IE/@W77 orienten@ EYRN N. RUSSELL AND THOMAS V. SMITH, 0F WEEE, CALIFORNIA, .dSSIGNOItS 0E ONE- 'I'IIIItlD TO WALTER A. RUSSELL, OJE WEEE, CALIFORNIA.

l FOOT-OPERATING IIDEFVICIIE..`

naraiae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented duly 23, IWIE..

Application filed February 11, 1916. Serial No. 77,'7.

and THOMAS V, SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing at Weed, in the county of Siskiyou and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in lFoot-Uperating Devices, of which the following is a specification. i

rllhis invention relates to improvements in foot operating devices for motor vehicles and more particularly tofoot pedals therefor.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of the above stated character wherein the pedal has connection with the accelerating rod controlling the carbureter and is so constructed whereby the san 5 will remain in proper adjusted position at'all timesand will control the flow ofthe feed from the carbureter without the necessity of retaining the foot thereon, and fur ther positively retain the foot pedal and positively be retained against any accldentalmovement due to the shock or vibration of Athe vehicle in traveling over rough or uneven roads.

A `still further object of the invention is the provision of a foot pedal which will serve also as a foot rest for the operator of the machine and prevent the cramping of the operators foot.

. With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts which will hereinafter be more fully set forth, Aillustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the front portion vlof an automobile, illustrating the hood portionA thereof and dash partly in' section and illustrating the application of the foot pedal to the accelerating rod controlling the carburetor;

lfig. 2 is an end view of the foot pedal removed from the dash; and

lfig. 3 is a detail transverse section.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, 5 denotes the engine of the automobile equipped with the usual carburetor 6, such carbureter being provided with the usual form of throttle (not illustrated) adapted to be cont-rolled by the operator of the machine by the foot through the medium of a lever 7. An accelerating rod 8 has. ivotal connection at one end to the lever the point of pivotal connection of the accelerating rod with the lever being designated by the reference character 9, and said accelerating rod extending rearwardly and' terminating ata point within the dash 19 of the hood of the machine. Mounted upon the dash 10 is an improved type of foot pedal constituting a' supporting bracket 11 embodying a base plate 12 connected to the dashthrough the medium of bolts 13, said bolts 13 also connecting the bearing arms llt and 15 to said plate at the opposite transverse edges thereof and in spaced parallelism one to the other. 'llhe bearing arms are .connected to one another through the medium of a bolt 16. The bolt is provided with a squared terminal portion 17 adapted to tit in a squared opening in the bearing arm 15 whereby any accidental rotation of the bolt is prevented. Splined upon the bolt 13 lis a pair of friction disks 18 and mounted thereon for longitudinal sliding movement. These friction disks have their lining 19 secured to the inner faces thereof preferably constructed of asbestos or the like niateiial;'tlie purpose of which will be clearly set forth as the description ofthe invention is proceeded with. Encircling the bolt 13 is a pair of stron-g helical springs 20 and 21, one terminal of each of the springs engaging with the inner faces of each of the bearing arms, while the opposite terminal of vthe springs engages with the outer face of the respective friction disks and forcing1 the same in an inward direction, the function of which will be clearly set forth hereinafter. 'Ihe foot plate 22 has its stem portion 23 rotatably mounted on the boltl 1G between the splined portions of the said bolt. The stem portion of the foot plate in this particular instance is in the form of a disk having oppositely projecting tangentially disposed arms 2t and 25 serving as a support -for the foot plate 22 and detachably connected therewith through the medium of fasteners 26. i

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be clearly understood to those skilled inthe art that the friction disks 18 are tensionally held against the stem portion 23 of the foot plate through the medium of the helical springs 20, said springs exerting longitudinal movement upon the friction disks at all times whereby when the foot plate is operated and in turn operates the carbureter through the medium ofthe accelerating rod, the foot pedal will be retained in its desired adjusted position without necessitating the engagement of the foot therewith after the same has been once operated. It is to be further understood that by having the foot operating means frictionally held, the same may be utilized as a foot rest in order to prevent the cramping of the foot or limbs of the operator of the vehicle. foot plate 22 hasl connection with the accelerating. rod 8 .at the point 27.

From the foregongdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to' those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while We have described the principles of operation of the device together with the device which we now consider to be the best embodiment thereof,we desire to have it understood that such advantages maybe made when desired as are Within the scope of the claims appended thereto.

We claim:

1. A device of the class described embodying a support, a` connecting bolt, and a member movably mounted upon said bolt, said member comprising a shank of substantially circular configuration formed with supporting arms projecting in opposite directions from and tangentially of said shank, and a foot plate connected to and supported upon vsaid arms.

2. A device of the class described embodying a support, a connecting bolt, and a membermovably mounted uponsaid bolt, said member comprising a shank of substantially circular configuration formed with supporting arms projecting in opposite directions from and tangentially of -said shank, a foot plate connected to and supported upon said arms, and yieldable disks .mounted upon the connecting bolt and adapted to frictionally engage the opposite side .faces of said shank for locking said member 1n various adjusted positions.

The

vbearin 3. A device of the class described embodying a support, a' connecting bolt, and a member movably mounted upon said bolt, said member comprising a shank of substantially circular configuration formed with supporting arms projecting in opposite directions from and tangentially of said shank, a foot plate connectedvto and supported upon said arms, anda pair of springs mounted upon the connecting bolt, said springs abutting with the disk and tending to move the disks inv adirection toward the shank for frictionally engaging the disks with the opposite side faces of said shank to lock the said movable member lagainst movement. i

4. In a foot throttle controlling device, the combination of a foot plate provided with a central bearing upon which said plate rocks, means for adding friction to said bearing, said means serving to yeldably lock said plate in any rocked position, said bearing and said means being mounted below and covered by said plate.

5. In a foot throttle controlling device, the combination of a foot plate for supporting the foot of an automobile operator, a central upon which said plate rocks, means for ho ding saidfoot plate in any desired rocked position for an indefinite period in engagement with the footthrottlc rod independent of the foot of the operator.

6. In a foot throttle controlling device, the

combination of a foot plate for supporting' the foot of an automobile operator, a support for said plate provided with a central bearing upon which said foot plate rocks, the foot plate in rocking arranged to engage the foot throttle rod for regulating the fuel supply, means for maintaining said foot plate in engagement with said foot throttle rod for an indefinite period independent of the foot of the operator.

' In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

BYRON N. RUSSELL. THOMAS V. SMITH. Witnesses:

VALTER A. RUSSELL, W. S. NrswoNcnn. 

